


How Kimi found out

by PoemAboutCitylights



Series: Cute boyfriends being cute [2]
Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Comfort, Drinking, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-20
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-12-17 19:54:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11858550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PoemAboutCitylights/pseuds/PoemAboutCitylights
Summary: Max has never really minded that the Australian is a rather touchy person, in private as well as in public.That is, until he knows how Dan's fingers feel against his naked skin.





	How Kimi found out

It's not as if Max hasn't noticed it before, it's just that he has never found himself to care.  
But now, things have changed and he has suddenly become hyper aware of it.  
It had been like that in the beginnings, too, when he had first met the Australian.  
Back then, the lingering touches and affectionate gestures had felt a little weird but once Max had learned that it was simply Dan's way, he had stopped noticing it and instead accepted it as a part of the other driver's personality, just like anyone else who spend time with the Aussie.  
Not even the press has cared about it.

But now, when Daniel bumps their arms together during an interview or when his fingers absently play with Max' in a press conference, he knows how these fingers feel against his naked skin, he remembers them tracing the sensitive skin just beneath his ribs and it is slowly, definitely, making him go insane.

Just like right now.  
"Hey, Max! Dan!", Fernando calls and comes closer with fast steps, "Hola! Big race today, no?"  
"Isn't every race equally big, Nando?", Dan asks with a wide grin and greets the Spaniard with a hug while Max settles for a fist bump.  
"Sure, is big every time."  
Dan awkwardly rests his arm on Max' shoulder and stables himself by leaning into the Dutch, while he studies Fernando's face.  
Max feels the body heat the Australian is giving off, notices how Dan's hip bone is perfectly fitting against the curve of his side.  
"Where you're going?", Daniel asks and Fernando flinches a little.  
"To my garage. Crew is waiting for me, no?"  
Max can feel Dan's body vibrating slightly against him which tells him that the Red Bull driver is suppressing a laugh.  
"You sure, Nando?"  
"Am sure, yes."  
"The McLaren garage is the other way, where you came from."  
There is definitely a shade of red ghosting over the Spaniards cheeks and he blows a strand of hair out of his face while resting a hand on his hip, "You saying I don't know where my own garage is?"  
"No, I'm saying that you're not telling the truth", Dan replies cheeky and smirks.  
Dan is shifting and grips Max' waist while snuggling closer to the Dutch and Max' breath gets caught in his lungs.  
Fernando doesn't seem to care, though, in fact he does not even spare it a single glance and instead lets out a low groan, "Okay, is fine! I looking for Jenson."  
"Button?", Max cannot hold in and Dan squeezes his waist.  
The Spaniard rolls his eyes but also makes sure that the two Red Bulls are the only ones listening.  
"Of course, Button, no? He says he comes here for weekend. Not visits me, only sponsors, no? After race, he says, he comes celebrating with me", Fernando snorts and Dan chuckles, "so I find him before race. You tell no one, no?"  
"I, Daniel Ricciardo, swear not to tell any one about your candle light dinner", the Australian cannot hold in his laugh any longer and Max' whole body is shaken by it.  
His hands form fists in the pockets of his jacket.  
"Shut up, Ricciardo", Fernando snaps and turns on his heels.  
Dan just sighs and entangles himself from Max, who is looking after the Spaniard in confusion, "Are they...", he doesn't find the right words and Dan jumps in helpfully, "Dating?"  
Max nods, "I was about to say _fucking_ but yeah. Are they?"  
Dan shrugs his shoulders, "No idea, mate. But I hope they are."  
A deep frown appears on the Australians face and he instinctively reaches out to brush his knuckles over Max'.  
"I hope that Fernando's happy, too", Max adds quietly and Dan shoots him a soft glance, "Jenson has always made Nando happy. I just hope that Jenson knows what he's doing."  
They walk side by side through the paddock until Max stops his boyfriend by gently tugging at his wrist.  
"Dan?"  
"Mh?"  
"I'm glad that it didn't take a retirement for us to act on our feelings."  
Dan's whole face lights up in a second and Max feels overwhelmed by it, by this incredible man that he cannot kiss in public but at his hotel room, which is so much more than he has ever thought he'd get.  
And he wonders when Dan has changed him like that; a few months, even weeks, ago, he would have never been able to openly talk about his feelings, for Dan and in general.  
But with the Australian, he feels confident talking about what is going on on his inside.  
Dan has done that to me, he thinks.

When Dan eventually goes off to talk to his mechanics, Max feels slightly uneasy without the familiar body heat attached to his left and the fingers randomly brushing against his.

It gets worse throughout the next week.  
They're back in Europe where the media attention is entirely different which means that they're busy with interviews and sponsor events all day.  
They cannot even meet in the evening because there's an event set for all the drivers and Max' mood is somewhere below sea level.  
He just wants to spend the evening before the first training at the hotel, watching Netflix on Daniel's phone while resting one's cheeks against each other to see something on the small display.  
He wants to bicker about why they cannot just watch something on TV and he misses Dan's hilarious reasons for why this just won't happen.  
He comes up with something different each night and Max just smiles through all of them because he knows that Dan simply enjoys being that close to each other under a shared blanket, lying flat on their stomachs with their feet intertwined.  
But today, Max knows that this scenario will remain a dream when he arrives at the huge and luxurious hotel bar just in time with Lewis and Kimi.  
Some of the other drivers are there already, talking to their bosses or other team members and Max is glad when Lewis rolls his eyes at that and makes his way to the bar.  
Kimi and Max follow him and take a seat at each of his sides.  
The Fin looks like he's scanning the crowd looking for someone (which he probably is) and Lewis doesn't look like anything at all. He's just sitting there as if he's waiting for this to be over.  
"I hate this", Kimi eventually says in his monotone voice and Lewis lets out one of his high pitched chuckles at that, "Who doesn't?"  
"The youngsters", Kimi replies and points at a particular corner with his chin.  
The light is dim but Max believes it's Stroll, Carlos and Esteban talking to one of the big sponsors.  
"Yeah, because it makes them feel important", Lewis says and raises his hand to order a drink.  
"Nah", Kimi says, "they're just young and naive."  
"Hey! I'm younger than them and I still think those events suck", Max jumps in und glances at the sparkling something that Lewis has just ordered.  
"I'll take a bottle of your best vodka", Kimi says and Max stares at the Ferrari driver.  
"There's a training tomorrow!"  
Kimi squints his eyes at the Dutch and calmly says, "Chill your balls, Verstappen, I'm Finnish."  
Max rolls his eyes, "Sure."  
"Whatever", Kimi grunts and pours the vodka into two shot glasses, "Where's your better half anyway?"  
Max shoots Lewis an alarmed gaze but the Brit slightly shakes his head when Kimi isn't looking.  
"Who?"  
"Oh, come on. Ricciardo."  
"I have no idea", Max replies and Kimi smirks.  
"Trouble in paradise?"  
This time, Max mouthes a "Wtf?" at Lewis but the Brit innocently raises his hands.  
Max doesn't exactly know _why_ Lewis Hamilton of all people knows of his and Daniel's relationship and he doesn't really want to know.  
He knows that Lewis and Daniel talk a lot off track and that Daniel knows something about Lewis that apparently, Dan is "the only person Lewis can talk to about this".  
Max suspects it has something do to with Nico Rosberg (because really, when doesn't it?) and he has always liked the Brit but if he's told Kimi, that would definitely change.  
Max clears his throat, "No idea what you're talking about, Kimi."  
The Fin just hums in response and pushes the shot into the Dutch's direction, "Drink."

He does and and half an hour later, he feels tipsy and is glad that there is indirect lighting behind the bar that changes colour and covers the fact that his cheeks are a bright shade of red.  
Kimi has drunk double the amount that Max has and he looks perfectly normal while Lewis is constantly switching between being pissed off and giggling.  
Looking at it sober, this is probably the most stupid thing Max has done in a while and it's sheer luck that none of all the important people around have approached him yet.  
But Max isn't sober so he doesn't care about all of that.  
Well, until a warm hand curls around his arm, that it.  
"Having fun?", Daniel's voice sounds as cheery as usual but then again it doesn't.  
But Max is too drunk to figure out what's happening so he just turns around and grins at his boyfriend: "Sort of."  
He knows that Dan knows that he's been drinking too much because the words don't roll off his tongue easily; they are heavy and feel a little foreign, as always when he has had a few drinks too much and doesn't speak in Dutch.  
He expects Dan to slide onto the seat next to him but the Australian doesn't move and keeps standing right behind Max, a little too close for the Dutch's taste, for he can feel the heaving of Dan's chest when he breathes against his back.  
"Been talking about you, Ricciardo", Kimi says and eyes the Red Bull driver suspiciously.  
"Yeah?"  
"I didn't", Lewis grins and lets out a giggle as if he made a joke none of the others gets. Dan therefore shoots the Brit a confused look and Max shrugs, "Just ignore him."  
"Kimi or Lewis?", Dan asks and Max feels him leaning in a bit closer, his hand still resting on the Dutch's forearm.

  
Max wants to lean into the touch and the warmth that Dan provides, he really does, but he fears that once he gives in, he won't be able to control himself.  
Due to that, he coughs softly and replies, "Both, if you wanna make sure."  
Dan laughs almost quietly, his chest vibrating against Max' back. The Dutch has to close his eyes for a second.  
"So, why weren't you showing up earlier?", Kimi eventually asks and takes another sip of his drink.  
"I talked to Seb and the Hulk about the halos."  
The Fin almost chokes on his vodka and Max claps his back in support, glad when the Ferrari doesn't die because he's sure that he cannot even call an ambulance without falling of his chair if he moves for only a centimeter.  
It is only then that he realizes that Dan is in fact stabilizing him by standing that close to him, holding him upright with a hand on his arm while his fingers brush against his skin comfortingly.  
"Sebastian is here?", Kimi chokes out, his voice still hoarse and Lewis bursts out laughing again (Max has learned to ignore him, by now).  
He doesn't even hear what Dan says in reply because all he really cares about now is the fact that he feels like he's on a boat, waves crashing against his chair, the alcohol in his stomach forming a storm.  
He shakes his head but it's as if his eyes aren't fast enough to catch a picture; as if the soundtrack is a bit late compared to the images that reach his brain.  
"You alright, Max?", Lewis asks (it sounds more like a _y'aauight, Mmmaacsss?_ ) but he sees honest worry in the Brit's eyes so he tries to nod but the moment he does, he feels the storm in his stomach raising to a tornado.

  
"Toilet...", he whispers, too quiet for anyone to catch the words.  
"What?", Dan says, still so close, still so warm and protective, silently making sure that no one sees him like this and that's probably all that it takes in the end.  
"I can't...", he starts, hoping that the words make any sense, "can't stan'chou thisss close."  
"I think he's about to throw up", Kimi says and then adds, "if you throw up on me, I'll kick your ass, Verstappen."  
Max sure as hell isn't sober enough to understand what's happening when Daniel drags him up, supported by the Fin, and shoves him out of the room and towards the toilets. Everything goes by in a rush and he thinks that Nico H. has snapped a picture of him but at the moment he couldn't care less.  
The only thing he does care about is that he won't be able to hold anything in for much longer and a second later, he throws up into one of the trash cans next to a sink.  
Dan holds him upright, one arm around his waist to prevent him from falling over and a hand in his hair, gently stroking his head.  
Lewis is still giggling in the background and Kimi snorts while leaning against the door, his arms crossed in front of his chest.  
"Feeling better?", Dan asks sympathetically and hands him a fresh towel.  
Max wants to nod but he's shaking now and the Australian tightens the grip around his waist.  
"Wait, wait, wait. Here, sit down for a minute, yeah?"  
He helps him to slide down against a wall, sitting down next to him with his arm still holding Max tight.  
For a minute or so, none of them says a thing (apart from Lewis, who is still giggling, Max considers that he might run out of oxygen soon if he continues for much longer).  
Kimi is still leaning against the bathroom door with his arms crossed and he reminds Max of a body guard, making sure that no one will come in without permission.  
And the Dutch feels much more sober now, the cool tiles against his back clearing his mind a bit.  
He can feel his cheeks heating up in embarrassment and he doesn't even dare to turn his head and look at Dan.  
"Feeling better?", Dan asks again and rests his chin on top of Max' head.  
The Dutch hums in response and shakes his head slightly, "I'm so sorry."  
Dan chuckles and presses a soft kiss against his hair before bringing a little distance between them to catch Max' gaze.  
"Why did you drink that much in the first place?"  
Before Max can answer, Kimi clears his throat, "I'm not completely innocent, I guess."  
Dan simply sighs.  
Lewis has stopped giggling and hiccups instead.  
"No, it's...", Max starts and doesn't know how to continue because he feels like he really has to tell Dan about it, "it drives me insane, you know?"  
"What drives you insane, Maxy?", Dan asks confused and the Dutch shoots him a dark glance at the use of his old nickname.  
"You, I guess?"  
Dan says, "Me?" and Kimi says "Gay" and Lewis lets out a hiccup at the same time.  
Max nods.  
"You're so close. All the freaking time. I feel like I'm going crazy."  
Dan swallows hard, "You need more space, you mean?"  
"No", Kimi groans and sighs, "Quite the opposite, actually."  
Dan holds Max' gaze and later the Dutch might blame it on the alcohol and really, Kimi isn't one to talk gossip or talk at all, right? so he closes the short distance between them and brings their lips together.  
He knows that he must taste terrible so he doesn't deepen the kiss, just a light brush of lips against each other.  
"I'll give my best to not touch you that much anymore in public", Dan eventually breathes against his lips and Max cannot bite back a grin.  
"Don't you dare, Ricciardo."  
Dan chuckles. Lewis giggles.

"So, I figured he IS your better half, after all", Kimi says and shrugs.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Part two of my little series.  
> I still don't know if it will include only those two.  
> I dropped some more or less obvious hints for other pairingsnand I'm thinking about including them into one shots that can stand alone but make a huge matching picture when combined.  
> Any prompts?  
> I'd love to get some feedback on what you thought about this one in the comments.  
> Cheers!


End file.
